Has a friend ever recommended something that you thought sounded cool and interesting… and then promptly forgot about? I used to have that problem, and eventually I found a solution: write it down! Whether that was a continuation of my Write It Down principle for story ideas, or inspired by Captain America: The Winter Soldier, in which “I’ll put it on the list” entails an actual list – or, more likely, both – it’s had a major impact on how I approach new content.
With comprehensive lists come a reduced sense of urgency, more (remembered) options at any given time, and, of course, more ways I can organize those options to best suit my needs. To begin with, I split my lists out by those books/shows/etc. that were directly recommended by friends or family, versus content I’d heard about indirectly that I decided might be interesting. That way, when I got around to something a friend recommended, I’d know who to thank and talk about it with.
After a couple years, I realized the lists – especially the indirect one – were getting inconveniently long, and adding items in the order I heard about them wasn’t making it any easier to navigate. So I subcategorized by medium: what to watch, what to read, what to play, etc. And again, it made life so much easier! If I want to look for new shows to watch, I know exactly where to find them. Some already have side notes about which streaming platforms they’re on, or whether they’re available through our library. I put a tiny bit of work in, each time I find something interesting, and it manifests as a massive convenience later. Cool, right?
I think the point, ultimately, is that how we manage life is a constantly evolving process. What worked before might be an obstacle now. The tools you overcame an obstacle with may need to be improved. But if you have the tools to improve your day-to-day, even a little bit… why not use them?
As you enter your senior years writing everything down is a great idea, unless you miss place the list.